August 4, 2011—As the high school football season gets underway this week in Florida, the Athletic Trainers’ Association of Florida (ATAF) announced today it has forged a relationship with Sport Safety International; a medical consulting firm that specializes in providing expert advice in the area of sport safety and injury prevention, to help introduce “Concussion Wise™” an online concussion education program designed for athletic trainers, coaches, parents, athletes and other health care professionals. The program will be made available immediately.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports and recreation related concussions occur in the United States each year. Even more startling is the fact that as many as 2.25 million sports related concussion go undiagnosed each year.

In an effort to promote concussion education, ATAF has partnered with Sport Safety International to offer the ConcussionWise™ program. “Concussion Wise™” focuses on the latest scientific and evidence based research of concussion education, prevention and management. “Concussion Wise™ programs will offer specific concussion education tailored to the different needs of individuals involved in prevention and management of concussions.

“Even though there is yet to be a concussion law passed in our state we believe it is extremely important for us as an association to provide a quality educational program like Concussion Wise™ to the public and the health care community. We believe it shows the commitment our association has to ensuring the health and safety of student-athletes.” said Stephanie Lennon, ATC, LAT ATAF President ”

“We are thrilled to be working with the ATAF to offer a program that meets the needs of the ATAF, its members and the Florida community as a whole” said Dr. Robb Rehberg, a partner with Sport Safety International and author of the ConcussionWise™ program. “The course provides a quality concussion education from different perspectives in order to make it more meaningful to the learner.”

The Athletic Trainers’ Association of Florida, Inc (ATAF) is an organization whose membership is dedicated to the comprehensive health care of our state’s athletes and other physically active individuals. The mission of the ATAF is to offer a diverse range of services to its members, while protecting the public’s interest by seeing that certified, licensed athletic trainer’s are available to provide proper medical care to our state’s athletes and the physically active.

The mission of Sport Safety International is to promote injury prevention and safe participation in physical activity and sports by providing the highest quality educational programming to athletes, parents, coaches, and sports medicine professionals.